Operation COBRA
by janelorizzoli
Summary: "The only thing more painful than not knowing is not understanding." Story begins in Chapter 3... I highly recommend that you read the Synopsis (Chapter 1) and the Introduction (Chapter 2) first, but it is not required in order to understand the story.
1. Synopsis

When Henry goes missing on his way to Boston to find his biological mother, Regina Mills decides to leave Storybrooke to go find him. But when she arrives in Boston, she realizes that she has no real leads to follow. Not wanting the police anywhere near this, for the sake of keeping Storybrooke hidden from the map, she decides to hire the best, most discrete private detective she can find. Her search brings her to C.O.B.R.A. (Covert Operational Boston Recovery Agency), made up of two very skilled female detectives named Emma Swan and Jane Rizzoli.

Intrigued, Emma and Jane take on the case, and work with Regina to try to find her missing son. But what they don't expect is to get caught up in a homicide, which leads to an investigation by the Boston Police Department. Detectives Frank Rizzoli and Barry Frost take on the homicide case, and Jane is reunited with her estranged brother for the first time in 10 years. But as the BPD medical examiner, Maura Isles, examines the body, she discovers something that just can't be explained.

As the two cases develop, the people involved realize that things aren't as simple as they appear, and the homicide and kidnapping may, in fact, be connected. But will they discover the truth in time?

* * *

**A/N:** _This story will be rated M solely for language and violence for the first half of the story. Explicit content will come later, but it will not be extremely detailed. So please do not come read this story for the smut. The idea behind this fic is for a Once Upon a Time AU plot to merge with a Rizzoli & Isles AU plot, and for a really intricate, complicated crime to emerge. I plan on writing a "sequel" of sorts for this, which will have a much higher amount of explicit content. But for this one, I do not want to fool you guys into imagining crazy sex scenes, or quirky foursomes. That's not happening._

_I expect the first chapter to be posted within the week, so keep an eye out if you're interested._


	2. Introduction

**A/N: **_This chapter is just the introductory chapter. It's less than 1000 words, which is much shorter than the rest of the chapters will be. But I think it's necessary to add a bit of Henry to the story, since most of the plot will end up revolving around him. This chapter is nothing special, so don't give up on me after reading this. There are _much_ more exciting moments to come._

* * *

Henry wasn't a bad kid. In fact, he was quite the opposite. He went to school when he was supposed to, studied more than anyone else in his class, and he listened to his mother… for the most part. But ever since he'd gotten that book of fairy tales from his teacher, Miss Blanchard, something felt different inside of him. He felt restless, like he was supposed to be doing something more than he was. He realized just how simple and boring his life was, compared to the fantastic adventures that went on in his book. And the more he thought about it, the clearer it became.

Storybrooke isn't normal.

And not just because it's lacking swords and horses and dragons and dwarves and princesses, which all felt oddly _normal_ to him, but because _nothing happened here._ Time seemed to be standing still, which was made infinitely more clear to him by the fact that the clock tower always showed the same time. Not to mention the fact that he was the only kid to age, the only person who did things differently from day-to-day, and really the only variable in this town of constants.

Over the past few years, Henry had started to work things out. He started to see strange parallels between characters in the book, and the people all around him. And the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that the parallels were just too strong to be a coincidence. The people around him _were_ the people in this book. They were trapped there by a curse; a curse which can only be broken by the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.

And if he was right about this book, and about all of the characters in it—which he had no doubt about—that meant that he knew exactly the person that would save them all. His mother.

Not Regina, his adoptive mother. She was clearly the Evil Queen, someone he tried his best to stay on the good side of. But rather, his biological mother. All he knew about her was that her first name was Emma, and she lived in Boston, Massachusetts.

So Henry started spending all of his free time going to the library to use the public computers. He searched for his mother's exact whereabouts to the best of his ability, and finally, after almost three months of searching endlessly through online profiles of Emma's in Boston, he found her. Her name was Emma Swan, and the address to her apartment was posted directly on her profile on her agency's website.

There would be nothing easy about leaving Storybrooke unnoticed and getting himself all the way down to Boston. It wasn't too far, but he would definitely need money, which was a luxury his mother never gave him. According to her, he had everything he needed right there in Storybrooke, and if he ever needed something more, all he had to do was ask.

But this was out of the question. If he even _brought up_ the idea of looking for his biological mother, he was sure Regina wouldn't let him out of her sight for weeks. She was overly protective of him, and he was certain it was for a reason other than just caring about him. Because she _didn't_ care about him; she only cared about keeping him prisoner. She only cared about making him do exactly what she wanted, which was precisely why Henry did his best to be a good kid, who does well in school, doesn't get into any trouble, and does exactly what she asks of him.

But finding Emma was way too important. He knew it would take something drastic for him to get away. He needed money, a ride there, and a perfect moment to leave when Regina wouldn't notice he was missing for _at least _a couple hours. That way, it would give him the time he needed to get away. Unfortunately, Regina didn't just keep her money sitting around the house. At least not enough for it to be of any value for him. So he had to find another way.

He decided he would need to use a credit card; something he knew he could easily swipe from his teacher's purse one day after class. So on the next Wednesday, when he knew Regina would be at a meeting after school, he stole the credit card and called a taxi from his home phone.

While he waited for the taxi to come, Henry grabbed a handful of candy bars and stuffed them in his backpack so he wouldn't get too hungry on the way. He grabbed his book, made sure he looked okay (this was, after all, going to be the day that he finally meets his real mom), and headed off to the town line, where he told the taxi company to have him picked up.

It wasn't 15 minutes before the cab showed up, and though the man gave him a slightly puzzled look—it wasn't every day that you picked up a 10-year-old kid in the middle of nowhere—he didn't say anything to Henry other than, "So where to, kid?"

"The nearest bus stop, please." Henry grinned.

This was it.

This was the moment his life would change forever.

* * *

**A/N: **_Make sure to leave comments/reviews letting me know what you think so far! Any and all feedback is great, and will help me decide where I want to go with the next chapter. I have a couple different ideas in mind. _

_I should be posting the next chapter within the next couple days._


	3. Chapter 1: Where's Henry?

**A/N****_: _**_This chapter will only be featuring Regina Mills. The rest of the characters will come in later on in the story. So just be patient, your crossover is on it's way. :) Also, I apologize if there are any minor typos. I was a bit rushed to get this posted, as I promised it would be done today. I'll go over this soon and fix any minor errors. But for now, try to ignore them. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Regina Mills hated meetings. She hated being mayor. She hated Storybrooke. She hated all of it.

This wasn't what she signed up for with the curse. What good is it taking away everyone's happy endings if they don't even remember what they're missing? What good is revenge if you don't get any of the real benefits?

Everyone here is relatively happy with the new lives they've been given. Snow White is now a pathetic schoolteacher with not a care in the world, except that she makes her students happy, and that she sings to the birds on her way to and from work. She has no idea that the comatose John Doe at the hospital is her Prince Charming, and she has no idea that the daughter she loved so much was taken away from her.

Where is all the emotional suffering she'd wanted for so long?

At least she had Henry. Before Henry came along, days in Storybrooke were even worse. They were so repetitive that Regina was sure she'd go mad. And then, when that stranger showed up out of nowhere with his kid, Regina saw a chance at a life. A real life. She saw a chance at happiness in this new world-without-magic. But it didn't work out. They didn't want to stay.

So when Regina saw another way of getting a kid, she seized the opportunity immediately. Mr. Gold made arrangements for her to adopt a child with a closed adoption, which meant she would never have to worry about the child's biological mother knowing who she was, or where her kid ended up.

And that's when Henry came. Henry, with his beautiful little eyes, and adorable smile. Henry, who made everything about Storybrooke completely different. He brought a new light to her day, and provided the first source of happiness she'd had in a long time.

But as he grew up, things changed. He started to grow more and more distant from her, and he had less and less time in his life for Regina. He would show no interest in their usual mother/son activities, and would question everything she did. And the day that he called her "Regina" instead of "Mom" was the day Regina realized… things between them would never be the way they're supposed to. She would never have a kid that cared for her as a real mother, not so long as this stupid curse got in the way of everything.

Regina didn't age, and neither did any of the children at Storybrooke. Henry couldn't make friends, because his friends couldn't connect with him. She knew he was lonely, and there was nothing she could do about it. And that… that was enough to drive a wedge through their relationship. And with each passing year, Henry alienated himself more and more from everyone and everything. Including Regina.

The one thing that hadn't changed though, was that he would come to her office every Thursday at precisely 5 p.m., after his therapy session with Dr. Hopper.

So when Regina arrived back at her office at 5:07 p.m., after her meeting, to find her office empty, she knew something was wrong.

"Henry?" she said aloud, in case he was somewhere in the office that she just wasn't seeing. "Henry, are you here?"

She looked around the well-furnished office. The forest wallpaper, the table off to the left with the basket of apples in the center, the black columns at every single corner of the room… it was all lit up perfectly by the black and white lamps all over the room, as well as the intricate, modern chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Henry was definitely not here.

Regina clenched her teeth. Sure, Henry had been getting more and more distanced from her by the day, especially recently. But he was _always_ here on time. He was taking this too far.

Trying her best not to allow her temper to rise too much, she strode over to the phone on her desk and dialed Archie's number.

"Hello?" the shaky voice came from the other end of the line.

"Dr. Hopper, would you care to explain to me why my son is not in my office? I told you not to ever go over your allotted time, no matter what." Regina didn't even bother to keep her annoyance and frustration out of her voice. "I will _not _pay you extra for a longer session."

"Madam Mayor, Henry isn't here."

"Well then by all means, where is he?" she asked, exasperated.

"I don't know—"

"What do you mean you don't know! Dr. Hopper, you are in charge of my son from 3:30 until 5 every Thursday afternoon, don't tell me you lost him."

"H-he never showed up. I thought you must have cancelled the appointment and forgotten to tell me. I—"

Regina hung up the phone. It wasn't like Henry to miss his therapy session. He loved Archie, and actually enjoyed their sessions together. So to miss a session… Regina figured something must be wrong.

* * *

"Miss Blanchard, what do you mean Henry was acting strange in class today?"

"I-I'm not really sure, he just seemed, well, _off_."

"Off?" Regina glared at the pathetic schoolteacher in front of her. Everything about this woman just screamed 'fake'. She had this perfect little job with her perfect little students, and her perfect little volunteer work at the perfect little hospital. Not to mention her perfect little love for perfect little animals. It made Regina sick.

"Yeah, off. He was… fidgety. He kept checking the time, and he wasn't really paying attention in class. And then he stayed after class to talk to me, but he didn't really seem to have anything specific to talk about. He just wanted to talk."

Regina furrowed her eyebrows. "So what _did _you talk about?"

Mary Margaret Blanchard shrugged, shaking her head. "Nothing, really. We talked about the poems we read in class today, and he thanked me again for giving him that book."

"Book, what book?"

"You know, the—"

"Oh never mind, that's not important. Was there anything else?"

The schoolteacher shook her head. "I'm sorry Madam Mayor, that was it. Are you sure Henry's not just at a friend's house?"

"Henry doesn't have friends. You of all people should know that."

Regina had a biting tone, and her cold eyes kept Mary Margaret from asking what she meant by that. Regina picked up her purse and turned on her heels, leaving the small classroom and heading straight for the Sheriff's Station.

* * *

"Henry's missing? Are you sure?"

Regina stared at him, daring him to continue questioning what she knew was true.

"Okay. When's the last time you saw him?"

"This morning, before school. I made him lunch, and watched him leave on the bus before leaving for work."

"And he was at school all day?"

"Yes."

"And then what?"

"He didn't show up for his appointment with Dr. Hopper, and he didn't come to my office like he always does."

Graham crossed his arms, obviously concerned. From what Regina told him about Henry, it didn't seem like Henry was the kind of kid to miss an appointment with Archie.

"Okay, I'll see what I can find out." Graham grabbed his jacked and walked past Regina for the door.

"Graham?" Regina asked, and he stopped to turn back. "Please find my son."

Graham looked at her, and saw that her cold gaze had turned soft. There was one person Regina cared about more than anything, and that was Henry. There was no denying it.

"I'll do whatever I can Regina, I promise."

* * *

Regina sat at her desk at home, staring at her phone. After bugging Graham every ten minutes for more information, he had told her to go home and wait for his call. He would call her if anything else came up.

So for the past two and a half hours, she'd sat there, watching the phone as the sky got darker and darker. She felt a knot in her stomach, and wondered if this was all her fault. She wondered if there was something else she could have done to prove to Henry how much she cared about him. He never seemed to notice how much she loved him.

Regina wasn't good with children. She tried as hard as she could to be a good mother, but especially in this world – this world that seemed foreign in every way – she just couldn't do it. She couldn't be the mother that he deserved, and she couldn't seem to keep him from despising her. For the past few weeks, his alienation from her had seemed to turn into downright hatred, and she wondered if there was some insane way he could have known who she truly was. If he saw her for the person she used to be. A killer. A woman who had been the cause of so much pain and misery that the lives she ruined could not even be counted on one hand.

But Regina wasn't that person any more. Ever since she'd gotten this new life, she was different. She may have the same amount of loathing for Snow White—that would never change. But she had finally found someone to care about.

And that someone was now gone, it seemed.

She took another large sip of her drink. She'd lost count of how many glasses of wine she'd had at this point. But the alcohol kept her from freaking out about this too much, so she didn't really care. She poured herself another glass.

_Brrrinng!_

The phone rang only once before Regina's hand snatched it up, after almost dropping the nearly-empty wine bottle she was holding.

"Yes?" she answered desperately.

"Regina, I'm sorry. I couldn't find anything else that would be of any help. It's getting dark now, and it's pointless to keep searching. Maybe Henry's just taking some space, and he'll show up tomorrow morning."

"Yeah. Maybe." Regina said quietly, but she didn't believe it.

"Try not to worry. We'll figure this out tomorrow."

She heard a _click_ as Sheriff Graham hung up his phone, and she slowly set hers down. Her heart was pounding. She could tell something was wrong; she could just feel it. There was no way Henry had just left. And if he had, he'd be back by now.

If Sheriff Graham wasn't going to continue this investigation, then she would.

* * *

Regina continually hit the buzzer to the apartment.

"Let me up, goddammit! I need to talk to you!"

She heard the door unlock, and walked into the building. She clambered up the flights of stairs until she got to the floor that Mary Margaret's apartment was on. She pounded on the door.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," a frantic voice came from the other side of the door, and the door swung open, revealing a very confused woman in her pajamas.

"Miss Blanchard…" Regina's words slurred slightly. "You lied to me."

"What? Are you drunk?"

"No, I'm not drunk. A little tipsy, but I'm fine," Regina insisted.

"Do you want to come in?"

"No, not until you explain to me why you lied?"

"Lied about what?"

"Oh, don't give me that," Regina snapped. "I know you know where Henry is. You're the last one that saw him, and you're one of the only people in this goddamn town that he actually likes. He talks to you, he tells you things. I know you know where he is!"

"Please, Madam Mayor, I don't know anything about where he went, I promise."

"Okay, let me in." Regina pushed past Mary Margaret into her apartment, and sat down at a stool by the kitchen counter.

"I don't know anything!"

"Then what were you two talking about after class?"

"I already told you! We were just talking about the poems we read in class, and about that book."

"Right, the book. What book would that be again?"

"That book of fairy tales I gave him a couple months ago. You know the one… with all the weird variations on the classics?"

Regina pursed her lips. Did Henry know about her? About the curse? About everything? That wasn't possible, was it?

"We just talked for about ten minutes, and then he asked for a piece of gum, and left."

"Wait, a piece of gum?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Henry doesn't like gum."

"So what are you saying?"

"Gimme your purse." Without even asking, Regina statched Mary Margaret's purse from the counter and started looking through it.

"Hey! Give that back!" Mary Margaret grabbed the bag back from Regina. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Are you missing anything?"

"Am I—"

"Are you missing anything!?" Regina yelled desperately.

"Um…" Mary Margaret looked through her purse, and then opened up her wallet. "My credit card! It's gone." She looked up at a very smug Regina Mills. "You don't think…?"

"Oh I do. I think he stole your credit card right in front of you, and used it for something. And I'm going to find out what."

* * *

"You want me to do what?"

"I want you to pull up a credit transfer for Miss Blanchard's credit card. She wrote her card number for me on this piece of paper." Regina handed Sheriff Graham the paper.

"Because you think Henry stole her credit card?"

"Yes! Just do it." Regina's heart was pounding. If Henry really did steal this card, it was so he could actually run away, it seemed. How had she not seen this coming? Did he really hate her that much?

"Okay, fine. Just give me a second. I've never actually done this before."

Regina crossed her arms and waited.

After almost ten minutes, Graham looked up from his computer.

"It was used to pay for a taxi, and then he stopped at an ATM."

"An ATM? Where?"

"At a bus stop in the nearest city south of here."

Regina was out the door as soon as she heard his answer. She knew exactly what she had to do, but she wasn't sure it would work.

She had to leave Storybrooke.

* * *

**A/N: **_Please, let me know what you think! My absolute favorite thing is getting reviews, whether it is a few words, or a paragraph of constructive criticism. As a writer, it's great to hear exactly what my readers think, and it also helps me decide how to proceed with further chapters. Thanks for reading!_

_The next chapter might be a while._


	4. Chapter 2: Leaving Storybrooke

**A/N:** _Wow, that took a while. I'm sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

"We're closed."

Regina acted as though she hadn't heard anything, and walked right up to the counter.

"I said we're closed," Mr. Gold repeated, looking up from the chipped cup he was polishing.

"I don't give a damn. I need you to tell me something."

Mr. Gold took a deep breath and set down his cup. "What do you want?"

"I want you to tell me your name." Regina stared at him, trying to see if there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. She'd had the suspicion for a long time now that he knew about the curse. And while she'd spent her time hoping with all her might that he didn't, she now realized that his awareness might be her only way to get out of Storybrooke. He was the only person who could help her leave town.

"You know my name. Gold. What is this about?"

"No. You know what I'm talking about, and I want you to _tell me your name_." She put her hands on her hips stubbornly.

He looked her up and down, trying to decipher the meaning of her visit. He noticed that her usually-hardened gaze looked desperate. Pleading. Frightened? He sighed.

"My name is Rumplestiltskin. But you already knew that."

Regina grinned. "Oh, thank God. Okay, I need you to tell me about the curse. Is it possible to leave Storybrooke?"

Though Mr. Gold looked confused, he didn't bother to question her motives. "Anyone under this curse is stuck in Storybrooke; you know that."

"No! There has to be a way… I can't just sit here and do nothing, I have to—"

"I'm not finished." Mr. Gold smiled knowingly. "I said anyone_ under the curse_. You aren't under the curse. You were the one who cast it, and therefore, you aren't bound by its rules. You can remember everything from your world. You decided what this world would be like, what people would do for a living… you made this town real. And you are free here. The only reason you don't have your magic is because this world doesn't have any magic to offer. But it seems to me that is your only limitation."

Regina furrowed her eyebrows. "So… I can leave?"

Mr. Gold nodded. "If I'm right."

"And if you're wrong?"

He shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

* * *

Regina shoved her second suitcase into the small trunk of her car. She'd packed lightly, with the over-optimistic hope that it wouldn't be too long until she found Henry. But she figured that if she _was_ being too optimistic, she could always return and pack more things, or buy some clothes. And there's always the possibility of using a washing machine, however dirty and disgusting those places might be.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered to herself. "This is insane."

She shut the trunk and walked around to the driver's side door, taking a deep breath before getting in and starting the engine.

Regina adjusted the rear-view mirror to meet her gaze, and saw dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't slept all night, just in case Henry showed up. Or just in case she had a nightmare again. She preferred exhaustion to the terrors her dreams sometimes brought her, so she'd indulged in enough coffee to keep herself going.

After adjusting the mirror back into position, she put her car in reverse, backed out of the driveway, and headed down the road toward the Storybrooke town line. She had no idea what was out there, in the rest of this messed-up world. It had taken her so long to get used to the "modern luxuries" Storybrooke had to offer; who knew if the rest of the world was the same? Who knew if she'd even be able to cope on her own, without being in a town that provided her everything she needed. As she drove away from the place she'd finally grown to call home, she became more and more nervous about the prospects of this trip. She was so used to being in charge, she hadn't even stopped to think about what it might be like in this world when everyone around you wasn't obeying your every word like loyal puppies.

She pursed her lips and reminded herself not to be weak. She was the Q_ueen_. Not here, sure, but she still hadn't lost that title. She hadn't lost everything. She was strong, and she was capable, and she could do this on her own. She could do anything, and she _would do everything_ for Henry... whatever it took.

It was in that moment that Regina realized she had already crossed the town line. She was out of Storybrooke, and she was fine. Rumplestiltskin had been right. Breathing a sigh of relief, Regina sped up with a new confidence, smiling optimistically as she imagined Henry's arms around her. She imagined seeing him again, safe, having just gotten lost in his childish ignorance. She imagined him apologizing to her for leaving, promising never to do it again, and telling her he loved her. And that possibility was enough to keep her going.

* * *

Regina pulled up to the parking lot at the ATM Graham had told her to go to. There were a few people in line, but otherwise the area was fairly empty. She walked up to them.

"Have you seen this boy around here?" she asked, holding up one of her favorite photos of Henry.

They all shook their heads and proceeded to ignore her presence. Regina sighed, realizing she really hadn't planned this out very well. Was she just going to go around showing this picture to people? That was absurd. But it also seemed to be her only option at this point.

"Thanks anyway," she said as she walked back to her car.

Sitting in the driver's seat with the engine off, Regina got an idea. She called Sheriff Graham.

"Hello?"

"It's Regina, I need you to look up the cab company Henry used. I want to see if I can get more information from them about where they took him."

She heard papers ruffling as Graham no doubt cleared his desk so he could do the search. Impatiently tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she waited for his response.

"Uh… give me a sec." More ruffling, and then typing. "He used the Jetport Cab Company, I'll give you their number."

Regina hurriedly took out a pen and wrote the number on her hand as he said it.

"Got that?"

"Yeah, I got it, thanks Graham." She hung up, and immediately dialed the number for the cap company.

"Jetport Cabs, how may I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Regina Mills, and I believe my son used my credit card with one of your cabs yesterday?"

"One moment ma'am," the woman said monotonously. Regina waited, tapping her fingers. "Yes, that name is in our database. What is it you want to know?"

"Oh thank God. My son ran away from home yesterday, and I think he had a taxi take him somewhere, and I'm not exactly sure where. Is there any way for me to get that information?"

"Have you tried informing the police? You'd need a search warrant for that information."

"Yes, yes I'm working with the police right now," she lied. She couldn't tell the police. Not if she wanted to keep Storybrooke secret from the rest of the world. Regina couldn't deal with an investigation at this time. She had to do this on her own.

"Well then I'm going to need you to get a warrant."

"No, wait, please! I really need to find my son, and the police won't get involved unless he's been missing 24 hours. I'm really worried about him and this is my only way to find him, and all I need is the contact information for the guy that drove him. I just want to ask where Henry was going. Please."

Regina couldn't remember begging that much in her life. She wasn't acting like herself. Everything was all wrong now; she couldn't bring herself to maintain her usual hard, demanding persona. She was too nervous.

There was a pause before the woman on the other end of the line spoke. "Look, I'll give you his phone number, how's that?"

"Yes! That's perfect, thank you!"

Regina scribbled the cab driver's number on her phone, below the cab company's number. Her heart was pounding, but she felt relieved.

Cell phones were such a useful thing; she couldn't believe they didn't have something like that back in her world. Although, she had magic back home, which was arguably much more useful than phones.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this, um…" Regina realized she didn't know the man's name. "Is this the cab driver that picked up a 10-year-old boy yesterday?" She cursed at herself under her breath, realizing how ridiculous she sounded.

"Yeah, who is this?"

"I'm his mother."

"Oh, shit. Please don't tell me he was running away or something..."

"Actually, yes. It seems that's the case. I need you to tell me where he wanted you to take him."

"He just asked for the nearest bus stop, that's all. I don't know where he was headed, I swear. I had no idea he was running away, I was just doing my job ma'am, I'm real sorry."

Regina hung up, and threw her phone onto the passenger seat. This guy was useless. She clenched her fists so tightly that she could feel her nails digging into her skin, and her eyes welled up with tears. Why was Henry running away from her? Why did he want to leave? None of it made any sense, and Regina couldn't help but think she must have been the problem. She must have done something, said something, _anything_ that he could have misinterpreted. He must have had a reason to leave, and that reason _must_ have been her. If anything happened to him…

No. Regina couldn't afford to think like that. Not yet. Not now.

She unclenched her fists, and noticed that her palms were bleeding. Thoughtlessly wiping them on her pants, she started the engine and backed out of her spot in the parking lot. She was going to find that bus stop. It wasn't a big town; bigger than Storybrooke, sure, but small nonetheless. It couldn't be that hard to find. But as Regina drove around, she found herself going in circles, drawn to the larger roads, with no sign of a bus stop anywhere.

Finally, she slowed down and rolled down her window.

"Excuse me?" she called out, and the man who was walking by slowed down and turned to her. "Can you tell me where the bus stop is?"

"Sure, uh… you go down this road until you hit Lincoln, then turn left. It's about a quarter-mile down Lincoln, which is just a couple miles up this road."

"Thanks so much!" She smiled, rolling up her window, and continuing down the street.

* * *

When she arrived at the bus stop, there was a bit of a crowd waiting. She parked her car on the street and got out, walking up to the group of people.

"Excuse me?" she asked, and a number of people turned to her. "Where does this bus lead?"

A couple people chuckled and turned away from her, and the others all looked at her oddly. Fortunately, one spoke up. "This is the intercity bus. It goes all over Maine, it doesn't just… _lead_ somewhere." She smirked. "Why, where you headed?"

"Not sure…" Regina said quietly, feeling embarrassed. She was completely out of her element here. As she stood there awkwardly, the saw the bus pull up.

As the woman who had been nice enough to answer her walked toward the bus, she turned to Regina and said, "The route is on that sign right there, if you wanna take a look at it. Maybe you'll figure out where you're going?"

"Yeah, maybe. Thanks." She nodded and sighed. What the hell was she doing? Her 10-year-old son could figure this stuff out better than she could.

Walking up to the sign, Regina saw a bunch of cities listed. Portland, Brunswick, Bangor, Orono… nothing sounded familiar. But as she read, one city stood out: Boston. Where had she heard that name before?

_I found a boy, born only a couple months ago; his mom doesn't want anything to do with him. Closed adoption, so you won't have any problems from her. No name yet. He's from Boston, which is close. I can get it all set up for you, if you're sure this is something you want to do. _

Henry was from Boston, that's why it sounded so familiar. Was he going back? How did he know that's where he was from? Or was it just a coincidence that Boston was listed here? It didn't matter. Regina had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do that made even the smallest bit of sense. Boston was her only hope, and so Boston it was. Regina walked over to the bench at the bus stop, clenching her purse tightly, and hoping it wouldn't be too long before the next bus came.

She was going to find Henry, if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

**A/N: **_Please, let me know what you think! My absolute favorite thing is getting reviews, whether it is a few words, or a paragraph of constructive criticism. As a writer, it's great to hear exactly what my readers think, and it also helps me decide how to proceed with further chapters. Thanks for reading!_

_Next chapter coming as soon as possible. Hopefully within the next week or so._


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